Introduction to Family History -2015 ©
Assessment Task 4: Research Plan
Introduction
I am researching my Paternal Great Grandfather Alfred BRANDT. (Number 1-Pedigree Chart).
Alfred had seven children to Louisa BARKER. My Grandfather George Henry BRANDT was the fifth of these children, who were born over a period of 12 years.
Main Research Question
What was Alfred BRANDT’s story?
1. Where did he originate from?
2. What was his occupation in Tasmania?
3. Why did he leave Tasmania?
4. What was his occupation after leaving Tasmania?
Records and Resources I Have Used To Date
Alfred BRANDT fathered his first child Alfred Lewis BRANDT on 29 June 1870 in Launceston Tasmania.[1] This Index Record was found through Ancestry.com.au
A digital copy of the Birth from the Launceston Register of Births 1870, on the Tasmanian Government LINC website needs verification by obtaining a copy of the Birth Certificate.
Six other children were born in NSW between 1872 and 1882.[2]
These Index records have been verified at NSW BDM with the same Index number and the same parents.
An Index Record on Ancestry.com for the Marriage of Alfred BRANDT and Louisa BARKER[3] was located on the Tasmanian Government LINC website. The digitised Marriage record for Alfred and Louisa in the Launceston Marriage Register shows the date as 10 January 1883.[4] It is interesting to note that this record lists Alfred’s occupation as Innkeeper.
Alfred died in 1883 in Gunnedah.[5]
On the transcription of the Death Certificate,[6] it has conflicting information regarding the year of marriage. A copy/transcription of the Marriage Certificate is needed for verification.
While making his Timeline, a Newspaper article from the Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners’ Advocate – Thursday 2 August 1883, p2, was found.
GUNNEDAH
FATAL ACCIDENT – A fatal accident happened on Monday to Mr Alfred Brandt, hotel-keeper at Sugarloaf Flat. It appears that Mr Brandt, in company with some other men, was trying to fish up a bucket which had fallen down a well, and as Mr Brandt was steadying the rope, his foot slipped, and he fell down the well, a distance of 150 feet, and was killed on the spot. He leaves a wife and a large family of children to mourn their loss. An inquest will be held.[7]
Similar reports were published in:
The Armidale Express Tuesday August 7 1883, p38, The Maitland Mercury/Hunter River General Advertiser Tuesday 31 July 1883, p5.[9]
Armed with this information I was keen to find evidence of the Inquest Record.
I searched various sites, Ancestry, Trove, Google, NSW State Records, and could only find on Ancestry, an Index Record from NSW Register of Coroners Inquest 1821-1937 #676 for Alfred BRANDT, Gunnedah abt 1883.[10] All searches in his name for the actual record of the inquest proved unsuccessful.
I did find an Inquest Record for Alfred BRAUDT.[11]
During my searches for information as to where Alfred lived I found a record in the NSW Australia, Police Gazettes, 1854-1930,stating that Alfred BRANDT was issued with a Publican’s Licence on 28 April 1882, with the District and Situation of the House listed as Coonabarabran Rd, near Gunnedah and the Sign of the House listed as Sugar Loaf Hotel.[12] This record gives me confirmation that Alfred was indeed an Innkeeper.
Repositories and Records that I Plan to Use
Ancestry.com
Shipping/Passenger Records for Alfred.
Immigration Records for Alfred
Trove
Newspaper articles, Family Notices, Shipping Lists for any mention of the family.
NSW State Records
Probates and Wills for Alfred
Public Record Office Victoria
Passenger/Shipping Arrival Records
Ship Departures to Tasmania
Reflective Statement
I began this search of Alfred after working back from myself on my Family Tree. I had confirmed knowledge of my Grandfather George Henry BRANDT, which led to the NSWBDM website and from there I found his sibling’s and parent’s names.
Making a Timeline led me to many interesting places. The Birth records of his first son in 1870 in Tasmania show Louisa as BRANDT formerly BARKER. This record also shows Alfred’s occupation as Gold Miner. Further investigation of these records may give clues as to how he came to be in Tasmania.
With the arrival of his first child, did he decide that he needed a more secure income? Is this the clue as to why he then moved to NSW, where he then had a further 6 children with Louisa.
Their Marriage records show them being married in 1883 in Tasmania, with Alfred’s occupation being Innkeeper and Louisa listed as a Spinster. Once again the occupation being stated as Innkeeper has similarities to other records found along the way.
After receiving the Transcription record of his death, this Marriage record's validity is now in question. The Transcription Record states that he was 39 at the time of the marriage. This puts the year of marriage at 1870 not 1883 as shown on the Marriage Record. As this Transcription shows the Informant to be Louisa, it is fair to assume that it is correct. But did she have cause to falsify this record? As he is listed as an Innkeeper was there a question of beneficiaries in a future Will, which would make the Legitimacy of his children important? There is also the listing of Innkeeper on the Marriage Record, this is different to the Gold Miner on the 1870 Birth Record of his son.
Ordering a Marriage Certificate will hopefully verify these questions.
Although there are inconsistencies with these records, they do have parallels which invoke further research.
Finding an Inquest Record was my biggest challenge. I had to change my searching technique to the “Less is More” method. By only using his first name, location where he may have lived, year and place of death, I turned up an Inquest Record for Alfred BRAUDT. This record had the same Index
Number 676, showed an approx. Birth Year, his age at death, Birth Place as Sweden. The place of death on this record is the same as the Newspaper reports. I had found my record!
The misspelled name on the Inquest Records has been a valuable lesson to me, teaching me to broaden my search criteria and not look for what I think I know!
The listing on the Inquest Record, of Alfred’s place of birth as Sweden, opens up another whole new avenue of future investigation.
In conclusion, although I have yet to answer all my questions, it is these very questions that give me a starting point for my investigations and planning.
I have learnt from this course that it is not just about adding names to charts, but trying to find more of the story of some of the names on my charts.
1 http://www.ancestry.com.au Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 Index Reg #44 Alfred L BRANDT [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010 accessed 12 August 2015
2 http://www.ancestry.com.au Australia, Birth Index, 1788-1922 Index Reg #135592 Magnus BRANDT; Index Reg #14877 Peter BRANDT; Index Reg #15707 John BRANDT; Index Reg #22850 George BRANDT; Index Reg #25169 William BRANDT; Index Reg #17610 Ethel BRANDT; [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010 accessed 12 August 2015
3 http://www.ancestry.com.au Australia, Marriage Index, 1788-1950 Index Reg 685 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010. Accessed 12 August 2015
4 http://www.linc.tas.gov.au/archive-heritage, Names Index RGD 37/1/42#685, accessed 18 AUGUST 2015
5 http://www.ancestry.com.au Australia, Death Index, 1787-1985, Index Reg#8157 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010, accessed 18 August 2015
6 NSW Family History Transcriptions Pty Ltd, NSW Death Registration Transcription Ref #1883/8157, Ref No 8270291, Printed 9 September 2015, received 10 September 2015
7 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/135952127, 1883 'GUNNEDAH.', Newcastle Morning Herald and Miners' Advocate (NSW : 1876 - 1954) , 2 August, p. 2, accessed 18 August 2015s
8 http://nla.gov.au/nla.news-article192717189, 1883 'EPITOME OF NEWS.', The Armidale Express and New England General Advertiser (NSW : 1856 - 1861; 1863 - 1889; 1891 - 1954), 7 August, p. 3, accessed 18 August 2015
9 http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/135952127, 1883 'District Telegrams.', The Maitland Mercury and Hunter River General Advertiser (NSW : 1843 - 1893), 31 July, p. 5, accessed 18 August 2015
10 http://www.ancestry.com.au. New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Coroners' Inquests, 1821-1937 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, State Archives NSW; Series: 2926; Item: 4/6623; Roll: 344 accessed 18 August 2015
11 http://www.ancestry.com.au. New South Wales, Australia, Registers of Coroners' Inquests, 1821-1937 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc, State Archives NSW; Series: 2924; Item: 4/6618; Roll: 343
12 http://www.ancestry.com.au. New South Wales, Australia, Police Gazettes, 1854-1930, Publication Date 3 May 1882 p167 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2010 accessed 19 August 2015
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